Financial Aid Programs

The Sandhills Community Action Program (CAP) is a non-profit organization serving Anson, Montgomery, Moore, and Richmond counties in North Carolina that works to combat poverty and empower low-income individuals and families through services like the S.T.A.R.S. Self-Sufficiency Program, affordable housing assistance (including Section 8 vouchers), job training, housing repair, and case management to help them achieve self-sufficiency and improve their quality of life. The S.T.A.R.S. Self-Sufficiency Program, along with other initiatives, provides education, job training, certifications, and case management to help individuals find stable employment and financial independence.

The N.C. Community College Child Care Grant program is designed to assist student parents with childcare costs to help them maintain their education. The funds are limited and distributed on a "first come, first serve" basis. Children must be under the age of 7. Be advised that Child Care Assistance is available pending state approval of funding each year.

Application Process

To be considered for child care assistance, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the current academic year at FAFSA.gov. Students must also submit a completed Child Care Application packet to the Financial Aid Office. Packets are available at the Financial Aid Office on the Hamlet Campus and the Scotland County Campus.

Eligibility

To be eligible, students must:

• Be enrolled in a curriculum program of study leading to an associate’s degree, diploma, or certificate. Continuing Education solely students are not eligible.
• Be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours or more in seated or hybrid classes combined).  Online solely students do not qualify.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards.
• Demonstrate financial need based on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Submit a completed Child Care Assistance Application.

Eligible child care may be:

• Licensed daycare or individual providers
• Unlicensed child care providers
• Afterschool programs
• Family members of the student-parent
• Personal nanny

All payments are mailed directly to the child care provider for the prior month’s services.

For More Information

Contact the Financial Aid Office at (910 410-1700 or financialaid@richmondcc.edu).

What is Federal Work Study?

Federal Work Study (FWS) program is a need based program which provides jobs for students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program stimulates and promotes part-time employment for students in need of earning to finance their educational expenses. Work study jobs are not intended to replace existing staff positions.

Student Employment Eligibility

Only current Richmond Community College students who have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the academic year are eligible for on-campus or Community Service employment through the Federal Work Study Program. It will take approximately one week to receive the FAFSA application after completion. Once a student has completed and submitted the required information to the Financial Aid office, it will take two to six weeks to process information and award the student.

High school students attending Richmond Community College do not qualify for the Federal Work Study Program.

How to Apply

To apply for Federal Work Study (FWS), a student must complete the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) at www.studentaid.gov. Go to the Career & Transfer Center located in the Lee Building on the main campus to complete the application process.

Satisfactory Academic Progression Standards

In order to gain employment and remain employed, all FWS students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)  and follow the Student Code of Conduct while in class and the workplace. SAP requires a cumulative GPA of a 2.0 and 67% completion rate. If a student is on Financial Aid TERMINATION, they are not eligible to work.

Other Student Worker Responsibilities

Financial Aid Work Awards

A student’s financial aid award package may include a Federal Work Study (FWS) award amount.

The work study amount is a dollar amount that a student MAY earn during the regular academic year. For the Federal Work-Study program, the academic school year is from July 1 to May 30.  There is no guarantee that a student will earn the amount of the work award. Students may work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the academic school year at $15 per hour. The student employment contract specifies the amount a student can earn in work study.

The Financial Aid Office is required to monitor earnings for students with work awards. The amount of a work award may change if the student receives additional scholarships or gift money. Students are notified if a change is made to the work award. The Financial Aid Office will notify supervisors when work study students are close to earning their maximum award.

Once a student has earned the full Federal Work Study award amount, the wages earned can no longer be paid from that funding source.

Looking to Hire an FWS Student

If you are looking for a student to fill a position but do not have a student in mind, please fill out the FWS Employee Request Form. As students apply, the Director of Financial Aid will check each student’s eligibility and send you ONLY the students that are eligible. You can then call them in (if you choose) for an interview. After you have selected the student(s) you wish to hire you can contact the Director of Financial Aid and let her know of your choice.

Supervisor Information and Forms

More Information

For more information on Federal Work Study (FWS), please contact the Financial Aid Office at (910) 410-1726.

FSEOG is awarded to undergraduate students who are Pell grant eligible and who show exceptional need. FSEOG funds are limited and they are normally awarded to students who apply and complete their financial aid early. FSEOG funds are not subject to proration.

The Federal Pell Grant is awarded to undergraduate students based on the results from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This information is used to calculate the Student Aid Index (SAI), which allows us to determine how much need-based financial aid you are eligible for. It provides schools with a picture of your family’s financial strength.

The amount of your Pell Grant depends on your SAI and how many credit hours you are enrolled in. 

Eligible students are allowed to receive Pell for 12 full-time equivalent semesters or six years. This is known as the Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding you can receive each year is equal to 100%, the six-year equivalent is 600%. 

Be sure to plan your course schedule carefully so that you can graduate on time. Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree are ineligible.